6 ways to cut wedding costs without looking cheap

Wedding costs are always being very high in some parts of the country. Arguably, the wedding has always been one of the ceremonies that people cherish most, and it’s one of those that probably won’t go away for the rest of time. It’s significant is not just because it formally heralds the beginning of a matrimony, although that is significant, it is also because it is an important event that the people taking part in it are fully aware of.

On a cursory look at the wedding costs in some other climes, while it is purely ceremonial and cultural in some places. It is held briefly. Also, in some places, it is a one-day event but in some other places, it is a multi-day event each with its wedding costs.

Wedding costs in other parts of the world

For example, In Germany, the ceremony is done in three parts and the wedding costs are very high, while in Cuba, it is an expensive ceremony and any male guest who dances with the bride is expected to pin money to her dress to help the couple pay for their honeymoon. In Jamaica, wedding is a community affair as everyone comes together to help in the planning and they all gather to see the bride and they all gather to see the bride and they assess her outfits.

In Nigeria, the wedding costs are very expensive, as it is done in three stages, the first being the traditional wedding (or engagement) the second being the formal aspect, whether in church, mosque or at the registry and the third being the reception. While the tradition is seen as sacrosanct, the third stage, which is hosting people at a reception, seems to be the most expensive. Because of all these wedding costs people delay wedding or shy away from the wedding.

But there’s good news. Experts say it is possible to have a beautiful wedding and still reduce wedding costs without looking cheap.

Tips on how to cut wedding costs without looking cheap

Tip 1 to cut wedding costs

1.Cut down the number of guests

It has been established that the number of guests or invited persons determines the size of the hall, the quantity of the food to be prepared, the number of drinks and the number of souvenirs, which would influence your wedding costs. The truth is that people that want to cut wedding costs would limit the number of persons they would invite.

A lot of people want to impress and statement during their wedding. If you truly want to cut costs, there’s no reason why you should have a wedding that over 500 guests, because the more guests make you spend more.

The director of bridal consultants in the US, Dena Davey, said people should people consider fixing their wedding on other days apart from Saturday, the usual day, so as to cut the wedding costs. She said event managers also tend to charge more on Saturdays than any other days. But Adeyemi disagreed.

She said “I don’t agree because at the end of the day, people that really matter to you may not be able to attend, and it would look as if you are cutting them off, except you are sure that those people would all be on leave. The ideal time for a party is the weekend when everybody is free”. She said instead of holding it during it during the week, to save cost, people could explore the option of takeaway food, like serving them when coming for the registry as it removes the wedding costs from the hall, music band or hiring a disc jockey.

Tip 3 to cut wedding costs.

3. Do something yourself

Notably one of the things that gulp money while planning for a wedding is invitation cards, not just the distribution, but the cost of printing them. On the average, one wedding card could cost between 500naira and 1000naira. It is advisable that couple makes use of e-invite; write a letter and send by email, or prepare an access card. People assume that the beauty of the invitation card says a lot about their financial status, so at the end of the day, it’s all about showing off. You can cut your wedding costs by doing this the other way round.

From observation, one of people’s motivation when it comes to wedding planning is to impress and show people that they are well to do. It is good to invite the people you can be able to cater to and let them have food to eat. You could have agreed with the caterer that’s one plate of food and two proteins per person, to avoid the shortage. If you are inviting 200, make food for 350. It’s better to have excess than a shortage. It is not a must to buy alcohol. Instead of inviting a musical artiste, you can call a disc jockey or a small band.

Tip 5 to cut your wedding costs

5. Talk to a credible event planner

It would appear that one good way, a low-cost wedding would be to talk to an event planner, who would help to reconcile the couple’s expectations with what their budget would cover. So many people run away from engaging the services of an event planner, erroneously thinking they couldn’t afford it, taking that step is the way to go. The planner would tell you the best venue that will cut your wedding costs. Also, a professional wedding planner would also make use of professional security personnel to keep away miscreants and other unwanted persons.

Tip 6 to your wedding costs.

6. Your planner doesn’t have to be a family member

Perhaps, one-way people run into “trouble’’ during their wedding is when they give certain duties to unqualified family members. Findings show that this does not only lead to avoidable quarrels, it constraints the couple to accept things as they are so as not to offend family members.

Once family members are in charge, you could be looking like a flop, because they will take care of themselves and their own and there’s also a limit to how you speak to them. But a professional will ensure that everybody gets a fair, equal treatment and not that someone would just come and ask 10 pieces of meat.

In Nigeria, we expect family members to do things for us, even when they are not competent and that’s why things flop because you don’t employ the professionals. A caterer is conscious of time, so he/she would serve you well so you recommend him/her to others.

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